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Association of Lutheran Church Musicians

January 1, 2026 e-newsletter

Do we have your current contact information?

The 2026 ALCM Membership Directory will be published in January, and we want to be sure that it includes your correct contact information. If you have recently moved and/or changed church positions and haven't yet reported the change, please let us know no later than Tuesday, January 13. You can email the changes to office@alcm.org or fill out the online contact information form. Not sure whether you've reported changes? Just contact us using either of those options and we'll check for you.

Registration is open for the 2026 ALCM Conference to be held at St. Olaf College from July 13-16, 2026. In 1986, forty years ago, the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians held its constituting convention at St. Olaf College, setting out to become a professional organization that would lift up the role of church music and equip leaders to lead the church’s song. In the midst of our 40 year celebration, ALCM finds itself back on the St. Olaf campus to recommit to the calling of Lutheran Church music, to celebrate the last forty years, and to dream together about the next 40. Workshops, discussions, worship, and hands-on learning opportunities will focus on strengthening leaders' gifts and developing new skills in topics such as worship leadership, technology, composition, enriching assembly song and more. Confirmed workshop leaders include Anton Armstrong, Mari Espeland, Wayne Wold, Rebekah Schulz, Bill Mathis, Karoline Lewis, Larry Christensen (ALCM's founding president), and more. In addition, we will experience J.S. Bach's St. Matthew Passion offered by the Bach Collegium Valparaiso; Christopher M. Cock, Artistic Director. Updated presenter and workshop information has been added on the website. To learn more and to register, go to www.alcm.org/2026-st-olaf.

Note: The early, early bird registration rate is available only through January 13. Prices change on January 14, so register now to get the best rates!

Happy New Year! Here we are in 2026, the year ALCM turns 40. Our celebration includes an anniversary conference at St. Olaf this summer, a commemorative issue of CrossAccent, and special content in issues of In Tempo. Also, look for the early spring announcement of the winner(s) of the congregational/assembly song contest. ALCM's 40th anniversary fundraising appeal, Now and Forever: Endowing Our Future continues as well. Make your anniversary gift or pledge now!

National Lutheran Choir 2026 Choral Tune-Up

January 31, 2026

Enjoy a morning of singing, workshops and an informal performance with acclaimed composer Elaine Hagenberg and NLC Artistic Director Jennaya Robison.  

Designed for church, community and school choirs, adult and youth singers (grades 7-12), students, educators and professionals, participants will have the opportunity to sing alongside members of the National Lutheran Choir. Additional offerings include a Friday evening conducting master class, and Saturday choral reading session. 

Register as a group or as an individual. Additional information is available at www.nlca.com/tuneup. The deadline to register is Friday, January 16, 2026.

Psalm Resources

As part of a larger project to develop psalm resources for members, a page for psalm refrains has been created and is accessible in the members area of the website. Refrains are listed by psalm number and verse and contain an accompaniment, a graphic for insertion in a service folder, suggested psalm tone(s), and other supporting materials (instrumental parts, descants, etc.). Although there are only a handfull of refrains right now, this page will continue to grow as more refrains are submitted.

A few things to note:

• The psalm tone suggestions are just that--suggestions. Feel free to use other tones in your congregation's repertoire. If you use a tone that works particularly well, let us know and we'll add it to the list of suggestions.
• If you regularly (or occasionally) write your own psalm refrains and/or tones, we would love to have you share them with other members.


As always, your comments and suggestions are welcome. Email us at office@alcm.org.

40th Anniversary Hymn Commission:

"O God, You Saw My Early Being"

In celebration of ALCM’s 40th anniversary in 2026, the ALCM board of directors commissioned Rev. Stephen Starke (text) and Robert Hobby (tune) to write a new hymn. “O God, You Saw My Early Being” is the result of that collaboration.

Permission for ALCM members to use the hymn and setting in worship has been extended to April 1, 2026. Both Concordia Publishing House (text copyright) and MorningStar Music (tune) are covered under OneLicense.net. Please remember to report hymn usage.

The 2026 Richard Hillert Award in Student Composition

The 2026 William Wolfram Student Award in Liturgical Art

Recognizes student artists who evidence:

• Commitment to Christian faith and practice
• Excellence in artistic expression
• Commitment to creating pieces purposed for use within worship settings

$1,000.00 prize

Deadline: May 1^st, 2026 - Submit a single PDF with quality images of your work, one full image and one or two detail images along with title, media, dimensions, year created, and anything else you want the judges to know.

Send to Barry.Bobb@CUChicago.edu

(Recent grads--since May 2024--may also apply.)

Additional information is available on the Center's website.

Fourth Friday Happy Hour with ALCM

Friday, January 23 - 6:00 pm Eastern

Recognizing that virtual community IS real community, you are warmly invited to join "Fourth Friday Happy Hour with ALCM" on Zoom every fourth Friday. Moderated by Past-President Nancy Raabe and Executive Director Jim Rindelaub, discussion is oriented around a general theme each month, but the larger purpose is to encourage conversation, sharing, and community. Bring whatever thoughts, comments, or concerns are on your mind, and of course a libation of your choice. 

Click on this recurring link to join each month.

call for manuscripts

With Water and the Word: Accompanying Baptism in Song

Issue 34.1 (Spring 2026)

Manuscript Deadline: 15 January 2026

Kyries & Glorias

Kyries (prayer concerns) and Glorias (thanksgivings) as well as In memoria are posted on the ALCM website.

Kyrie

Bob & Lois Rimbo updated 10/30/25

Mark & Kathy Helge

Bob Hobby*

Jenny Hobby

Gloria

Luke Tegtmeier Gift IMO Tim Guenther

In memoriam

Betty Frable

ALCM members are invited to submit Kyries and Glorias following the link in the members area of the website. Non-members may contact the ALCM office at office@alcm.org with information for posting.

* indicates a Founding Member

Hymn Resources

Moving into the Epiphany season and its emphasis on light, this month's hymn suggestion is HOUSTON ("I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light"). Settings include a B-flat trumpet part written by Jean Boehler as well as soloed-out organ settings by Paul Otte. Settings are provided in both C-major and D-major.

HOUSTON (in C) - Boehler

HOUSTON (in C) - Otte harmonization

HOUSTON FAUX BOURDON (in C) - Otte harmonization

HOUSTON (in D) - Boehler

HOUSTON (in D) - Otte harmonization

HOUSTON FAUX BOURDON (in D) - Otte harmonization

As part of your regular worship planning, be sure to check your hymn selections against the list of Hymn Settings in the members area of the ALCM website. (See the link under the "Quick Links" heading.) There are hundreds of hymn settings to support congregational singing as well as many free downloadable resources in the members area. If you haven't looked for a while, log in and do some exploring!

Having difficulty logging in to the members area? First check to be sure that you are using the email address that we have on file (the address at which you receive the e-newsletter). Click on the "Forgot your password?" link in the login box and follow the instructions to reset your password. If you still have difficulty logging in, or if you are logged in and cannot access the members area page, send an email to office@alcm.org 

and we'll be happy to help.

Bach as Gospel:

An invitation to help establish Bach Cantata Vespers

in Christchurch, New Zealand

St Paul's Lutheran Church, Christchurch, a small congregation of the Lutheran Church of New Zealand, invites you to partner in a unique Gospel-centred music ministry: the establishment of Bach Cantata Vespers, worship in which chorales, cantatas, preaching, and prayer proclaim the Gospel in their original Lutheran liturgical setting. This ministry would be unique in Aotearoa New Zealand.

We have the opportunity to relocate a small two-manual and pedal Visser-Rowland pipe organ from Texas, an instrument ideally suited to Bach and the Lutheran musical tradition. St Paul's has the funds to purchase the organ, but not to bring it here.

We are seeking financial support from ALCM members, congregations, musicians, and individuals with a heart for the Gospel to help cover packing and shipping.

By helping bring this organ to us here in New Zealand, you will give Christchurch a living voice of the Gospel through music, worship, and mission, following Luther’s conviction that “next to the Word of God, music deserves the highest praise.”

For more information or to contribute, please email ALCM member Pastor Mark Whitfield at mark.whitfield@lutheran.org.nz.  

Editor's note: Many of you met Pastor Whitfield at last summer's conference, where he presided at the Gathering Eucharist.

Nominate Young Musicians for Lutheran Summer Music

Now is the time to nominate students for LSM 2026. Enrollment for next summer is filling quickly, and we expect most remaining spots to be filled by the March 1 Standard Enrollment deadline. At LSM, students connect advanced musical study with worship and the joy of Lutheran church music traditions. We welcome musicians on all instruments—brass, woodwinds, strings, percussion, piano, organ, voice, and harp—to study with nationally recognized faculty in a welcoming and supportive community.

LSM 2026 takes place at St. Olaf College from June 21–July 19. 

Know a young musician (grades 8–12) who would thrive at LSM? Nominate them today at LSMacademy.org/nominate. Questions? admissions@lutheransummermusic.org.

Are you getting the most out of your ALCM membership?

Did you know that new member benefits are being added all the time to the members area of the ALCM website? You will want to log in whenever you visit the site to be sure that you have access to everything available to members. Can't remember your login information? In almost every case, your username is your email address. You can change or reset your password by following the "Forgot your password?" link in the login box.

Items in the members area are available for unlimited use as long as your membership remains active. Here are a few items for members only:

• All issues of CrossAccent (from the very beginning) and In Tempo are available for viewing. Paper and downloadable versions of CrossAccent are also available in the Marketplace;
• Advertise your local events on ALCM's calendar;
• Listen to all ALCM CD recordings for free;
• Hymns, accompaniments, descants, concertatos, and hymn stanza alternations for choir;
• Other free downloadable seasonal and non-seasonal resources;
• Discounted registration fee for ALCM-sponsored webinars and conferences;
• Past issues of ALCM's original practical resource, Grace Notes, from 1997-2011;
• Discounts on purchases of CDs and other items in the Marketplace; and
• A host of other resources free for viewing and downloading.

If you have any difficulty logging in or if you have questions or comments about the website or your membership, please feel free to contact us by email at office@alcm.org.